Waste or soil pipe connection for water-closets.



. J. CLIFFORD. WASTE OR SOIL PIPE OONNBGTION FOR WATER GLOSETS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1906;

Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

/////lI/II 1 iviis lll Il II I'll II "I .flifarneys UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN CLIFFORD, 'OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO L. WOLFF IIANUFACTUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

Application filed June 14, 1906. Serial No. 321,608. i

To all whom it may concern? Be it known that I, JOHN CLIFFORD, a citizenof the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wasteor Soil Pipe Connections for Water-Closets, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in waste or soil pipe connectionsfor water closets at the floor or base of the .closet by which thecustomary four inch lead bend which connects with the soil pipe isconnected to the outlet of the water closet.

Heretofore, although sanitarians and experts interested in theinstallation of plumbing fixtures have long recognized that theconnection of the 'water closet with the soil pipe or sewerage system atthe floor or base of the closet is a matter of great importance in asanitary sense, as a faulty connection here leaves an exit for sewergases in the living rooms, and although many attempts have heretoforebeen made to provide a connection that would be sanitary, and at thesame time meet or fulfil the other necessary requirements, orconditions, the means heretofore in use for connecting the closet withthe soil pipe have been open to serious objections. One ordinary methodof making this connection at the floor of the lead bend with the outletof the closet is to flange the upper end of the lead bend over on thefloor, then put a roll of putty on top of this flange, then place thecloset on and secure it down by wood screws extending through the baseof the closet and entering the floor; but in this form of connection,the putty in time dries out and cracks and gives a leak or outlet toobjectionable sewer gases.

Though this form of connection is largely used, it is condemned by allacquainted with the requirements necessary to make a proper and sanitaryjoint. Another common ractice is the use of a circular brass floor angeor clamping ring having a flat upper face through which the upper end ofthe lead bend is inserted and soldered at the inner edge or surface ofthe ring, this edge or surface being beveled off for the accommodationof the solder and to facilitate the soldering operation, and a flatrubber gasket being interposed between the flat upper surface of theclamping ring and the base of the closet and compressed by the boltswhich connect the clamping ring with the closet base. In thisconstruction, the base of the closet is countersunk around the spud oroutlet to accommodate the thickness of the brass clamping ring and therubber gasket. This construction, however, is very-K unsatisfactory anddefective and is condemned by all sa/nitarians, as the rubber gasket orpacking in time gets hard and shrinks from its contact with the closetand clamping ring and cracks open or disintegrates so that it affordslittle protection against leakage or inlet of gases.

The object of my invention is to provide a sanitary, practicable,economical and eflicient connection between the water closet and thelead pipe bend leading to the soil pipe orsewerage system, capable ofbein easily and conveniently set up or applied without special knowledgeor skill, which 7 will have provision for inequalities in theearthenware base of the closet due to warping or other causes, and alsoprovision for accommodating inequalities in the floor or other causespreventing the leveling of the brass floor flange or clamping ring, sothat the connection may automatically adjust itself to existingconditions, which will permit the base of the closet to be brought to apractical rest upon the surface of the floor which will relieve the base.of the closet from any breaking of destructive strains incident toscrewing or attaching the base of the closet to the floor, and in whichalso the packing interposed between the floor flange or clamping ringand the base of the closet will also have the required or desirable bodyor thickness throughout every point of its circumference necessary tothe production and maintenance of a tight or perfect and sanitary joint.

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplishthis object or result. That is to say, it consist in connec-- tion witha closet havin the customary horizontal base surrounding the spud oroutlet, and furnished on its under side with .an annular recess orchannel to receive a brass or metallic flange or clamping ring and thepacking interposed between the base and clamping ring, of an annularclamping ring adapted .to be bolted to the base of the closet andprovided on its upper face with an annular groove to receive a thick andcompressible packing ring, the clamp ng ring having an inner, verticalor c lindrlcal surface to receive the lead ben and .to which the leadbend is soldered, the inner surface of the clampin ring being preferablyrounded or bevele at its upper corner to facilitate the entry of thesolder and the soldering operation, and a thick, compres- 1 siblepacking ring, preferably about one half inch in thickness or crosssectional diameter, adapted to fit in the packing seat or annular groovein the upper face of the clamping ring, and to be compressed betweenthe. clamping ring and the base of the closet, said packing ring by itsthickness and compressibility not only accommodating or providing forinequalities in or warp ngs of the closet base, variations 1n level ofthe clamping ring, but also enabling the base of the closet to bebrought to a practical rest against the upper surface of the floor, andalso maintaining at all points of the circumference of the packing ringa suflicient thickness or body to prevent all possibility of the packingring becoming defective at any point for want of suflicient thickness orbody to effect a proper and sanitary joint.

My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts anddevices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shownand described.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure1 is a central, vertical section of a water closet floor connectionembodying my invention.

I Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, detail, central, vertical section showingthe connection between the base of the closet and the lead bend whichleads to the soil pipeor sewerage system. Fig. 3 is a top or plan viewof the brass flange or clamping ring and Fig. 4 is a detail verticalsectional view showing the packing ring and cooperating parts before thepacking is compressed by screwing down the clamp bolts which connect thecloset with the clamping ring. Fig. 5 is a detail section of the packingring.

In the drawing, A represents a portion of the floor or base upon whichthe closet is mounted.

B is the closet having the customary base or horizontal flange B andspud or outlet b. The closet base B is provided on its under side withan annular channel or recess 6 insane? .ners, the parts haveinterengaging shoulders to keep them in pro er relation to each 'otherduring the sol eri ng operation, or

while the solder is setting. The clamping ring D is also provided withan annular groove or recess d forming a seat for the packing. The outerannular wall or flange d of the packing groove or seat 01 serves toconfine the packing and prevent' its s reading laterally. The clampingring also has a horizontal flange or rim d furnished with curved slots dto receive the clamping bolts E, the slots being beveled or countersunkso that the heads of the bolts may fit flush with or within the lowerface of the rim d of the clamping ring. The clampin ring D also isfurnished with holes (1 an countersinks d to receive the screws by whichthe clamping ring is attached to the floor or base A.

E are the nuts of the clamping bolts E, suitable washers E beinginterposed between the nuts and the closet base.

F is a thick, soft, flexible, compressible packing ring, preferablyabout one half inch in cross sectional diameter, and preferably composedof asbestos with a mixture of white lead to provide an adherent cohesivebond, and incased in asbestos cloth f, fitting in the annular groove orpacking seat 07 of the clamping ring D so that when pressure is broughtto bear on this packing ring, it fills out the space designed for it bythe groove d in the clamping ring D and accommodates itself to anyinequalities or warpings in the closet base or to any variations fromthe true level in the clamping ring or other inequalities and at thesame time maintains a suificient thickness or body at all points of itscircumference to effect a tight, perfect and sanitary joint orconnection between the lead bend and the closet bowl.

The adjustability of my compensatable packing in its limited seat orconfining groove formed by the outer wall of the annular groove orrecess d in the clamping ring D on the one side, and exterior wall ofthe closet spud b on the other side, permits the floor engaging orbearing base B of the closet B to be drawn down properly against thefloor so-that it can be secured thereto in the usual manner, and tocompensate for any irregularities due to the warping of the closet baseB in firing, variations in the depth of the annular recess in the closetbase B variations in the height or level of the clamping ring D whensoldered on the lead bend C or sewer connection, &c., while at' the sametime efiecting a sewer-tight connection between the closet base andclamping ring.

I claim The combination with a water closet bowl 5 having a floorengaging base provided with an annular recess, and a flat horizontalclamp face, of a lead soil pipe, a floor plate having a verticalcylindrical inner surface with beveled upper corner, said floor late 10receiving the lead soil pipe and sol ered thereto, and having on itsupper face an annular groove with flat horizontal bottom, a

thick, soft, flexible packing ring of compressible material fitting insaid annular groove and engaging the closet base, and clamp boltsextending between said closet base and floor plate and compressing saidpackingring vertically between said horizontal clamp faces of saidcloset base and floor plate.

JOHN CLIFFORD. lVitnesses H. M.'MUNDAY, -IPEARL ABRAMS. v

